Korai Orom - 2005. Hungary

Korai Öröm 2005 is the 6th album (or 7th if one counts the first cassette) from this fine Hungarian band. Though I have dutifully picked up every album they've released (save their last 2013, so total of nine), I can honestly say I recall little about each. The one that had the great impact here is 1997. In recent years I've gone back to the debut (1995) and 2000 - Sound & Vision, and both fell into a similar pattern which I'll describe here shortly. As memory serves, 2005 was one of the very best, perhaps only second to 1997 in quality. After this revisit, I'm hoping that's not the case.

Listening to this CD now, it's as if I'd never heard the album before as I had no prior memory of it. Just the style. And I fear to say that will be the case for most of the Korai Öröm catalog. In reality, their sound hasn't deviated much from the debut, so it's really a matter of the execution and dynamism of each. So what is that sound? Organic psychedelic dance music, for a lack of a designation more official. And what I mean by organic is they they use real instruments verse just samples, synthesizers, and the like. Because of this, Korai Öröm are often compared to Ozric Tentacles, and in some ways that is a fair conclusion to make. Ozric though were more informed by the 70s space rock bands such as Gong and Here & Now than only considering modern dance music. They blended both seamlessly (and often times just went raucous space rock). Korai Öröm takes an Ozric extract and applies it more toward the rave club circuit. The instrumentation and personnel is impressive, with a variety of indigenous wind and string instruments, a raftful of modern keyboards, electric guitar, additional percussion, and a pounding rhythm section. Along with guest female vocals.

After hearing '2005/1' you'll know if this is your cup of tea or not. The band doesn't extend the style palette much, however the music definitely is varied. The biggest issue I have with Korai Öröm is that they should let loose more in the rock sections like the best bands in this genre do (Ozric, Dasputnik, Quantum Fantay, Vespero). It seems they're always holding back, constantly building the atmosphere and not allowing for more ideas and changes to come forth. It also seems there isn't much in the form of music composition but rather Korai Öröm are more about texture and sound. Yes it's still excellent in aggregate, but one begins to think how much better it should have been.

Personal favorites include the pounding '2005/4' and the exotic, psychedelic, and tuneful '2005/7'.

Ownership: CD: 2005 1G Records. Jewel case with booklet that features a fine selection of band photos.

1//2006 (first listen); 7/18/19 (review / new entry)